A few days after the meteor shower, the mysterious shards have been gathered up by the guards, rebels, and another mysterious faction. However, what to do with them next remains a mystery, as all known texts on their purpose are hopelessly vague. If such a text exists, we don't know where to find it.

Six years ago, an unimaginable horror known as Tirek came to Equestria. His power was nigh impossible, requiring the Elements, the Lovers and the Alicorns all to pour their very souls into holding him. In their absence, Prince Blueblood took the crown. But, Blueblood's reign is simply a mask for the Guard's dictatorship, while rebels cling to the idea of a free republic and strange cults tout the value of freedom from any governance. With all this, why would anypony spare a thought for the comet that filled the night sky for weeks before falling?

Weather: CloudySeason: SpringWho's in power right now? TraditionalistsMeteor Collected: 0%

As ponies watched with horrified fascination as Canterlot Mountain was defaced by the first meteor strike, they had a chance to see it up-close as another slammed into their own city, obliterating a small playground in the process before two industrious ponies strung up a rope around it to keep passerby from getting too close. While the majority of those that had seen it thought that they were doing it for public safety, those few rebels in the crowd knew that two of their compatriots had just claimed the shard in favor of the new Republic.

As if two strikes weren't enough, the third one had decided to impact into a populated area, luckily not doing the damage that Raklos might've expected. Despite his armor having been stripped of it's royal symbols of his allegiance, being in a suit that finely crafted and built was a dead give away, that he was either a soldier or a mercenary. Either one worked to Raklos' favor, but the latter made his moves tricky. He shuffled around the crowd, looking at their horrified faces, as he approached the epicenter of the impact.

Despite the "action", there was no desire for Raklos' to be here, since he had other charges in the region, but being closer to ground zero, and practically being a one man quick-reaction-force, he was ordered to proceed immediately to secure the shard. His curiosity piqued at high command's emphasis on securing a shard from the meteor, and to keep it out of the rebel's hooves at all costs. However he knew that other ponies had other ideas...

As Raklos approached the rope around the shard, one of the ponies, a unicorn, ran up to him with a grin on his face.

"Woah man, don't get too close! Geiger Counter, I work for the hazardous waste treatment plant outside the city." He held out a hoof to shake. "We need to see if this thing is gonna hurt anyone near it, so just stay on that side of the rope until we get this thing back to our treatment facility." Even as he spoke, the earth pony behind him had tied a rope around the stone and was hauling it into a cart within the cordoned off zone.

Raklos was impeded by a pony. Foolish. "Risk or none I care not. I have me work to do." Raklos said, careful not to reveal too much of his real intent. "I'm pretty sure that rock isn't radiating anything dangerous enough to turn a pony into a sloppy mess." he said, pushing his way past the pony.

The colt continued grinning as hard as he could, stepping in front of Raklos at every turn.

"Hey, easy now! You can't know that for sure. How about this; you come to the plant with us, and you can watch us do our thing. Make sure there's nothing going on, right? That sound good?" He walked alongside the cart, making sure the stone wouldn't be stolen on their way.

Try as the other colt might, Raklos simply matched his sidestepping as calmly and efficiently as he could, which would've seemed ridiculous to any other pony that a heavily armoured pony was actually running some circles around a more nimble pony, but this wasn't run-of-the-mill armour either. Raklos bade his patience, not wanting to rouse a frenzy in the onlooking crowd, and keeping his true identity and intentions sealed.

"It's funny though. I'm the one behind thick plates of metal, and you're telling me that if that thing spits out radiation, I won't stand anymore of a chance than you? And don't pull off that 'I have magic with me' excuse. I'm coming along." Raklos said, almost barking it out. And to emphasize his point, he began to follow the pony dragging the rock, gently shoving the colt if he dares to avert Raklos from the prize once more.

He followed the ponies into the alley, only to find himself face to face with a knife. He chuckled for a second.

"Didn't you boys learn not to bring a knife to a sword fight?" he chuckled. Taking no pride in what he was about to do, Raklos pulled out his sword, it darkened structure and metal reflecting almost no light, if any, that shone on the alley.

"And don't bother with magick. The blade doesn't agree well with such shenanigans" he added on, just to scare them a little, thought that fact was true in a sense. Regardless. It was probably one of the more interesting fight's Raklos has had to deal with.

The colt with the knife shrugged and held it in a ready stance. "I've got no magic anyway. Never saw the need, yeah? En garde!" He lunged forward, swinging against Raklos's side while the other pony watched from the front of the cart.

Her memories had said Canterlot. Her leads had said Manehattan. But when Cherry Cordial's train came to a stop in Baltimare, and she was waiting for her connecting line to Manehattan to fuel up, her gut rang out loud and clear.

Here.

She wracked her mind, trying to think of why she might be drawn to this place at this time, when Solar was clearly not in the vicinity. But... well, her talent might have been winemaking, but there was a fair degree of intuition involved in that, and even if her dud horn could barely help her tie up her own mane, it damn well plugged her into the bizarre aetheric currents that made up the magic of the land.

It was so different from what she was used to. Not bad, though, not if it could be trusted.

This would be a fair test.

She trotted out of the station, promising to meet up with her saddlebags in Manehattan, tucking her ticket stubs in the elastic loop holding up her mane-tail, and took off at a smooth three-beat canter.

She might not have her old build, her old muscles, but this body could run when it needed to, built for forward motion, built for charging and stabbing and oh, it was so good just to be alive.

The subtle siren call in the base of her horn led her clopping hooves directly to a dim alleyway on an abandoned side street.

The image facing her was easy enough to decode. One guardspony, two rebels, and one honking huge chunk of rock. Easily triple the size of the one she had already presented to her beloved.

But just because the image was easy didn't mean her choice was. Before... the old Cherry Cordial would have sided with the guard, let him relax, and then organized a brilliant coup from beneath his hooves.

This new mare, though, oh, oh she wanted to fight. Still though, fight whom? Along side which one? Neither of these idiotic combatants shared her loyalties.

Deep breath, eyes open, head down.

She bolted, long legs stretching and splaying, with every intention of driving her horn in the guardspony's neck. Part of her could already feel the gushing blood, even though she damned well hadn't landed anything yet, and she was ready to bask in it.

Besides, once he was down, the other two would be cake, right?

It was only after she'd made her move that she realized with a shock that nearly broke her step that if she'd just waited a few minutes, they might have injured eachother all to pieces and she could have stepped in for the prize.

Yep. He's dead. With a mighty push from his front hooves, he backstepped beyond the reach of the knife. then instinctively entered his fighting stance, blade facing vertically at the knife-wielding colt. "Didn't your parent's teach you not the play with knifes?" he mocked, hoping that the colt's emotions would stir and lose focus, which would make him easy prey. Having said that, Raklos did prepared to slash at front of the upper left body of the colt.

Only to turn his head unintentionally, and notice another pony doing a horn charge at him. "Pathetic!" He shouted,this time shifting himself to he moved sideways once more. Tempted to go for maximum carnage, only his discipline and training stayed his second hoof from reaching for his warax. But he moved his sword back to ready stance. Seriously. Of all times.

The colt smiled and rolled to the side, coming up next to Raklos. He was having quite a bit of fun with this little duel, but he figured they might be able to cut an even better deal. Besides, there was nothing overly special about this rock in his mind, while the stallion looked like quite the fellow.

"That they did. 'course, we could always cut a deal, if you're so inclined. I'd be willing to give this thing to you for the right price."

The guard unicorn shifted his weight, leaving Cherry charging straight past him, and the other pony blathering on about bribery, which was all well and good, but it meant that Cherry was heading straight for the alley's wall.

Fortunately, running into walls was something with which the little drunkard was accustomed, and usually she had far less honed reaction times when it happened. She pulled her body to won saide, nearly tumbling over, and planted one forhoof in the ground while kicking at the wall with both rears. A perfectly executed pinhead turn, if she did say so herself. She ignored the twinge in her pastern which informed her none to kindly that it was not perfectly executed, and that she was an idiot.

Because these ponies were idiots of a greater degree. Leaving their treasure laden cart unhitched like that, just so they could better fight someone that they weren't even actually fighting with.

She dropped her belly to the ground, skidded beneath the towbar, and popped back up like a very brightly colored mushroom, heck through the harness. Without a proper plow vest, and without the benefit of earth pony strength, horsefeaths, without even properly tightened straps, she didn't honestly expect to get far, but maybe they really were that distracted by their 'negotiations'?

Dear Celestia's left flank stamp, it was heavy. Didn't agree with her aching pastern at all... But whatever.

"Hold it right there, Mare! Nopony touches that cart!" he shouted in a booming voice, before drawing his axe. Judging the target and distance of the target, he shifted his stance so the axe would fly and impact a nearby object, rather than strike the new interloper, after a second or two, he was ready.

Going into a 180 degree spin to gain momentum, Raklos let loose the axe, throwing it towards the mare, intending to strike her down. And while that was happening, Raklos began an armored charge of his own at the colts. With his sword infront, and armor securing his flanks. One would wonder what expression was hidden behind the faceplate of his. "You know what's my take on this little deal for the rock?"

"I think it should be free, for me!" he shouted as he followed up the charge with a few semi-wide and quick sweeps from his blade.

The colt jumped nimbly and kicked at the underside of the axe head, sending it clattering across the ground. He enjoyed this little spar, but the fact that he wasn't willing to deal at all wasn't really inspiring the greatest confidence.

"Aw, that's no fun. C'mon, we could make you rich here! How does five hundred bits, cash sound?" He jumped the swing, not putting any effort into retaliating. For now, he wanted to see if he could get out of this like a true businesscolt.

Meanwhile, on the cart, his partner chuckled and watched Cherry try to haul the cart away with him in it. He leaned forward on the edge, watching her for a moment. She had very nice flanks indeed...

"You want this rock as well? Perhaps we could make a deal. You could join us, or we could just pay you to take it and run. As long as we get it somewhat intact, we'd be happy."